Nyxia and Vidarath were lounging on the couch, watching the NieR: Automata anime with Eri snuggled between them in Nyxia's house. The lights were dim, the volume just right but Nyxia couldn't focus. His golden eyes kept flicking to the window.
Because outside, staring intensely with arms crossed and zero shame… was the Empress.
She was just standing there. Watching. Unblinking. Like a judgmental owl with a royal title.
When Eri tried to point her out, Nyxia gently patted her head."Don't look, honey," he whispered like it was a horror movie.
Then, as 2B appeared on screen in all her android glory, Vidarath casually muttered, "Sma"
SMACK.
Nyxia's hand collided with the back of Vidarath's head."The fuck are you doing, man? My kid's watching this. And also your wife is outside the damn window. Fix that."
Rubbing his head, Vidarath blinked. "What wif-oh."
He turned, saw the Empress staring at him like he was a slice of cake someone might steal, and gave a weak smile.
"What are you doing out there, honey?" he called out.
Through the muffling of the glass, she replied flatly, "Oh, I'm just watching over you. In case some bitch tries to steal you from us, honey."
Vidarath stared for a moment. "Wha…? Ah, whatever. Just come in. It's not like I can cheat on anyone."
The moment he said that, her face lit up like she just won the lottery. She vanished from the window and a second later, the front door opened.
Without a word, she marched in, sat beside Vidarath, and immediately wrapped her arms around him in a tight cuddle.
Eri watched all this with wide eyes. A few seconds passed… and then her face lit up like a lightbulb.
She scrambled off the couch, ran into the kitchen, and returned proudly holding a jar. Taped to the front was a piece of paper, written in crude kid handwriting: "SWEAR JAR"
She presented it to Vidarath and the Empress like it was a sacred relic, giving it a shake. The clinking of Ferrum coins echoed ominously.
Vidarath stared at it, sighed like a man whose fate was sealed, and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a pouch and dropped two Ferrums into the jar.
Clink. Clink.
Eri gave an approving nod, hugged the jar to her chest, and settled back in her spot with a proud grin.
Vidarath looked at Eri for a long moment, then turned to Nyxia with a raised brow.Nyxia sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay… I may have slipped a few times around her. And, well, she kind of started swearing after me."
Vidarath's expression flattened slightly, a mix of amusement and disbelief.
"Look, knowing Cavian," Nyxia continued, "if she hears Eri drop a single swear, I'll be crucified the second I step into the daycare." He waved his hand for emphasis. "So I improvised. I made the swear jar. If I swear, I put a coin in. If she swears, I take one out."
Vidarath blinked. "So the goal is… what, to fill it?"
Nyxia nodded with a small chuckle. "Yup. Once it's full, we go on an adventure together. Gives her something to look forward to and keeps me in check." He glanced over at Eri, who was now proudly hugging the jar like it was a national treasure.
Vidarath let out a long breath. "You're unbelievable.""Parenting, man," Nyxia grinned. "Trial by fire."
For a few seconds, Vidarath just stood there, visibly processing Nyxia's words. Then, slowly, his eyes narrowed.
"Wait," he said, pointing a clawed finger. "You said you put a coin in when you swear. So why the hell am I giving her money?"
Nyxia burst out laughing. "I don't know, man it just kinda works!"
Eri, without missing a beat, reached out toward Vidarath with her hand open expectantly.He stared down at her like she was a tiny IRS agent. "…You've got to be kidding me."
"Swear jar," she said sweetly, eyes glittering with the unshakable confidence of a child who knew she had backup.
Vidarath looked back at Nyxia. "She learned that from you."
"Damn right she did," Nyxia grinned. Then paused. "…Ah, crap another coin."He sighed and dropped one in the jar with theatrical defeat.
Eri looked at Vidarath again. Slowly. Silently.Vidarath growled under his breath and shoved a coin into her hand.
Nyxia clapped. "See? It works."
Somewhere hidden deep in the underbelly of the Medical Department, behind the Dr. Wagner's bookcase distant clanging of metal echoed through concrete walls. The sharp ping of a wrench falling onto steel was followed by the rhythmic thunk-thunk of hammer strikes, interspersed with the hiss of hydraulics and the unmistakable scent of motor oil and ozone.
Then came the squeak.
Not just any squeak but the high-pitched protest of rusted wheels pushing something heavy across metal flooring.
A faint blue glow spilled from underneath the crack of the sealed door. Tools whirred. Sparks danced across the gloom. And then revving engines.
Loud. Guttural. Like something massive had just roared awake for the first time in years.
After a while through the mechanical growls, sizzling circuits, and spinning turbines a burst of laughter echoed through the chamber.
It was Dr. Wagner.
But not the clean, coat-clad, sharp-tongued scientist most knew.
No, this Wagner wore a grease-stained mechanic's shirt, sleeves rolled up, chest pocket packed with pens and micro-drives. His goggles were pushed to his forehead, hair tousled from hours of obsessive tinkering. In his hand, a ratchet clicked rhythmically, still glistening with oil.
And in front of him bathed in the glow of work lights and humming arc coils stood a Ford GT40.
Or at least… it used to be one.
The legendary racing chassis was still there the sleek lines, the aerodynamic curves, the wide stance. But grafted onto it were clear signs of Evolto-grade augmentation:
Antigrav plates lined the undercarriage.
A micro-Blackmore capacitor hummed where the rear engine should be.
Armor plating subtle, lightweight, shaped like natural panels reinforced its sides.
And inside, the dashboard had been replaced with a tactical interface, including neural sync ports, a combat nav system, and a red switch ominously labeled "DRIFT.EXE".
Wagner stepped back, eyes gleaming.
"Ja… Ja! She's alive now. Ze Panzergeist has wheels!"
He turned to a set of old security cameras, knowing full well no one was watching. But still, he grinned.
"Let zhem laugh at my medical budget. Zey vill never understand ze joy of torque."
Then he looked up at the glowing power cells embedded where the headlights used to be, muttering to himself: "Now… if I could just get ze reactor to stop threatening to implode every time I shift into third…"
Dr. Wagner wiped the sweat from his brow, then reached over to the nearby bench and grabbed what looked like a custom-built driving mask a hybrid between a racing helmet and a Void-filter respirator, etched with glowing sigils and hazard warnings.
The doctor slipped it on with a click.
"Let's test ze laws of motion… and mock zem."
He hopped into the driver's seat of the Panzergeist, the cockpit hissing shut behind him with a satisfying pneumatic thunk.
The dashboard came alive neural sync lights blinking green, Void stabilizers spinning up, and a voice chirping: "⚠ Power output at 117%. Do not engage Drift.exe unless you want to kiss physics goodbye."
Wagner snorted.
"Küss mich, you delightful abomination."
He gripped the wheel. Then at the push of a button a swirling rift tore open in the middle of the chamber, crackling with unstable dimensional energy.
The car revved once, exhaust vents glowing an eerie cyan.
Then
BOOM.
The Panzergeist vanished into the rift with a blinding surge of light and a sonic boom so violent it shattered nearby tool cabinets and knocked blueprints off the walls. Sparks danced. Gears spun off shelves. The sound of tearing air lingered for seconds afterward.
Somewhere across Evolto City's underground Rift Transit Network, security sensors pinged violently.
Unregistered dimensional vehicle breach.
Estimated entry speed: Mach 2.6.
Trajectory: Unstable.
Signature: WAGNER.
The last thing that echoed through the network before it cut out was Wagner's giddy, echoing laugh: "YEEEEEAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!"